Steam technologies. Steampunk
Large round glasses with copper frames, a copper bracelet on his hand, a telephone in a copper case, which is an amazing design of buttons and levers - says a lot about the passion for steampunk in the guise of Dmitry Tikhonenko. True, the master himself learned about the fashion trend after he created many of his works from copper.
From July 28 to July 30 English city Whitby hosted the annual steampunk weekend, which is held by representatives of the subculture and cosplayers. Steampunk is a direction science fiction, which focuses on an imaginary alternative vector of human development, the starting point of which was the invention of the steam engine. Festival participants come in costumes stylized in the era of Victorian England and early capitalism.
Talented sculptor from Krasnoyarsk, Igor Verniy creates birds, butterflies and other representatives of the animal world, using parts of old household appliances, bicycles, cars, watch parts and everything that can be safely thrown into scrap metal.
There are a huge number of the most unusual musical instruments in the world, made in both classical and completely unexpected styles.
In this collection of photographs you will see some very unusual musical instruments in steampunk style!
We immediately throw away a damaged bicycle, a broken watch and anything that cannot be repaired. The artist and sculptor Igor Verny creates real works of art from these objects. He makes fantastic steampunk animals from ordinary metal: old car parts, dishes and even household appliances.
“Deep down I am an artist and I see the beauty of this world in bright colors, but I’m also a mechanic,” says Igor. “And it’s these two qualities that help me create.”
We admire the artist’s work and have chosen his best sculptures from scrap metal for you.
Mechanical Fantasies by Justin Gershenson-Gates is a whole series of works by a famous jeweler who decided to deviate a little from his main line of work and do something else.
For his works, Justin used clock parts (hands, gears, ordinary incandescent lamps and much more). Each work, be it a pendant, an insect or an arthropod, takes the master several hours. Given that Justin Gershenson-Gates is used to finishing everything, he never leaves a job unfinished and completes everything in one sitting. In his work he uses only soldering and no glue. “Mechanical Mind” is a truly unique and inimitable series from a famous jeweler.
Japanese sculptor Michihiro Matsuoka creates interesting miniature sculptures. Combining images of animals and technology into one whole, he turns them into flying machines and floating objects.
Pierre Matter was born in 1964. A mathematician by profession, he searched for a long time for his true calling, wandering along the paths of art. He tried his hand at painting and painted oil paints, poster paints and watercolors. But he found himself in sculpture. French master Pierre Matter works in the spirit of steampunk, creating his sculptures that are hybrids of machines, humans and animals.
I can’t even believe that from an ordinary CD player you can create such a miracle as the master did for a competition on the website steampunker.ru
(or steampunk) – modern style, based on a particular genre of science fiction. It covers not only the style of clothing, but also the sphere of painting, interior design, etc. You could even say that steampunk has become a separate subculture, which is passionate about to a greater extent boys and girls who are not teenagers, but are older.
Although the steampunk clothing style is considered modern, the second half of the 19th century is considered the cradle of steampunk. In any case, the cityscapes of Victorian England - main image, used in illustrations of this style.
As a direction in art in general, focuses on the mechanical nature of nature, while being mechanical in a retro style. Airships, iron robots, as the first science fiction writers imagined them, gears and transmission shafts, heavy telephones and balloons - in a word, the mechanisms that almost entirely make up space represent a world characteristic of steampunk, a dystopian world. It is interesting that antiquity and modernity collide in it; the current world finds itself embedded within the framework of the past. Figuratively speaking, Leonardo da Vinci's drawings live side by side with the subway and space exploration.
It would seem that man has no place in this kingdom of machines. But no, people are here too. However, against the backdrop of shocking inanimateness, they themselves seem to be mechanisms. In steampunk, a person is seen as a creature endowed with many vices. One can even say that entirely consisting of them: the sins of greed, pride, envy, anger, lust, almost entirely occupy human nature.
The term "steampunk" appeared in the 80s. However, the works that became its ancestors were published somewhat earlier, in the 60s and 70s. However, if you dig even deeper and consider the genre not from the point of view of modernity, but in the plane of a mechanistic description of the world in general, then art style Steampunk has been around for a very long time. Science fiction of the 19th century can rightfully be considered its ancestor. Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells and, of course, Jules Verne are traditionally considered by steampunk fans to be the “founding fathers” of this movement.
The steampunk world contains several characteristic features, thanks to which it is quite easy to identify or create.
Firstly, base element of this culture – technology in its most varied manifestations. Most often - steam engines and those technical achievements that are propelled by steam. This aspect is the most important because... helps determine the characteristics of clothing and a given style.
Secondly, steampunk can serve as a kind of synonym for urbanity. There is no nature in it, but it is filled with typical city landscapes: brick, pipes (including rusty ones), cobblestone streets, air filled with soot from factory chimneys.
Thirdly, the world of steampunk presupposes some madness of its inhabitants, their genius, obsession with business. Such widespread images of crazy professors, obsessed with their experiments and inventions, came to us precisely from steampunk. Many literary characters, who at first glance have nothing to do with this style, are still considered its classic representatives: detective Sherlock Holmes and his antagonist Professor Moriarty, Victor Frankenstein, Jack the Ripper, Dorian Gray.
Steampunk is reflected even in computer games ah, which can serve as a 100% sign of popularity.
Steampunk clothing
When it comes to steampunk clothing, it's especially good there is a mixture of antiquity and modernity. The Victorian era in this image is organically combined with the modern fruits of civilization. However, the requirements of this style cannot be called too strict.
Ultra-modern devices, for example, Cell phones, laptops and peripheral devices, tablets may well be among the accessories related to style. However, to do this, they need to be stylized in such a way that they most closely resemble some incredible antique mechanism. Some fans of this style can transform almost any gadget that comes into their hands into steampunk.
Painting
Steampunk painting is also very popular today. Here it can be closely intertwined with surrealism, expressed through the childish charm of primitivism, or absorb elements of futurism. In general, the main motif that permeates paintings in the steampunk style is the same mechanization of the surrounding world in the style of the 19th century. Airships, gears, rusty pipes, clouds of steam, unprecedented inventions - almost everything is mechanized - from insects to the Cheshire cat. Among the artists who are fond of this style are: Bill Carman, Brian Kesinger, Ian Mcque, Vadim Voitekhovich and others.
Music
The steampunk direction in music today is quite vague and represents a combination of art rock, country, darkwave and industrial. Steampunk bands usually include The Clockwork Dolls, Abney Park, Ghostfire, Escape The Clouds, Coppelius.
Movie
In the film industry, steampunk can most often be found in genres such as science fiction and fantasy. Among the films in this style, “Wild Wild West”, “Van Helsing”, “Sherlock Holmes” (2009) stand out.
widely used in animation(“Howl’s Moving Castle”, “Steamboy”, “Atlantis: The Lost World” and others) and in computer games(“Underworld”, “Bioshock”, “Damnation”, etc.).
Literature
The forerunners of steampunk in literature are considered books by Jules Verne"Five weeks in hot-air balloon", "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", "Around the World in 80 Days", "The Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo", "Journey to the Center of the Earth", H.G. Wells"War of the Worlds", "Time Machine".
Among modern authors writing in the steampunk style, one can highlight Cassandra Clare (“Mechanical Angel”), Gordon Dahlquist (“Glass Books of the Dream Eaters”, “Black Book of Death”), Sergei Lukyanenko (“Draft”, “Chistovik”), George Mann (“The Ritual of Osiris”), Alexei Pekhov (“Under the Sign of the Manticore”, “Mockingbird”), Kenneth Oppel (“Sky Wanderer”).
How to create a steampunk look?
- Choose basic items of clothing in gray, brown and black tones; wide stripes are acceptable. For women, a combination of a top with a rigid corset and a bustle (a skirt full at the back) is recommended. A dress can be made in the same style, complemented by puffy sleeves.
- Men can wear button-ups with ties and, in some cases, with shorts. This option may also be suitable for women, because steampunk does not imply gender differences.
- Add a little steampunk to your shoes too. High lace-up boots will fit into both women's and men's looks. Choose narrow boots with a small heel that won't look as bulky as military boots.
- The most necessary accessory will be steampunk. You will need aviator style glasses, or so-called goggles, with large details.
- Gears and cogs – distinctive features steampunk style, so these details must certainly be present in your image. If you have difficulty finding such accessories, you can try the following method: break an old watch, take out the mechanisms from it, then fasten the individual parts together and make a pendant out of it. Paint the resulting accessory with bronze paint.
- Complete the steampunk look with a hat or hair accessories. From headdresses, men can choose or. Attach a few screws to the outside, which will add originality. Women can glue gears and cogs to their hair clips.
Steampunk (or steampunk)- a term born from the English words “steam” and “punk”. With the word “steam” - “steam”, everything is crystal clear - it is fundamental to the genre. Steam technology rules the world! Imagine, at the end of the 19th century, Babbage's machine, the size of St. Paul's Cathedral, was built, a technocratic society is divided into classes and, in addition to believing in God as such (which is not at all necessary), believes in God in the machine. And this machine is driven by steam, which makes it the main vital force that fuels the universe. Steam locomotives, airships, steam-powered quad bikes, mechanized implants - steam reality.
An example of a mechanized steampunk implant, by Maker-hs
Steampunk technology - "Steam Mustang" by inkubus
It is much more difficult to define the word “punk”. Let's consider 2 hypotheses:
1. “This world is rotten to the core”
Fans of the genre who promote this view of steampunk interpret the word “punk” literally as “rebel” and “rotten.” This shows a certain solidarity with the older brother of steampunk - cyberpunk. In this case, the class stratification of society does not just exist - it is critical. Classes are at enmity with each other, rebel wars are fought for better life and criminal wars for the best place in the sun. The aristocracy and bourgeoisie are pathetic and courtly, the lower classes are poor and dangerous in their desperate struggle for survival. This is reflected in the appearance of the inhabitants of the world - leather corsets and vinyl boots with iron heels are combined with classic crinolines, an evening top hat with a torn kilt. The maximum of rebellious, punk aesthetics is what distinguishes adherents of this view of steampunk.
2. "God Save the Queen"
During the reign of Queen Victoria, a technological revolution occurred in England, which led the kingdom to prosperity. But let's imagine for a moment that good old England does not stop there and turns into a steam power - a monopolist. Gradually, other countries are taking a new path of development. What is “Victorian” steampunk? This is our history and our reality, but an alternative one (the word “punk” means “deviant”, “alternative”). In our reality, Miss K. from Liverpool brings morning tea to the maid Nancy, in the steampunk reality - the maid automaton N-C16. In our reality, Mr. N goes on weekends to watch boxing, in the steam reality of the battle of steam robots. Costumes like this alternative world differ little from the costumes of the 19th and early 20th centuries of our universe, but have the obligatory attributes and accessories of a “steam” society - mechanical devices, ladies’ jewelry of the appropriate design. It must be said that a “Victorian” steampunk gentleman will put on goggles (such glasses) if he decides, for example, to take a dashing ride in his steam-powered car, but he will not wear goggles everywhere, because this is nonsense and bad manners, akin to appearing at a ball in a chef's apron.
It is worth mentioning the point of view that “Victorian” steampunk is just a step in the development of technology, and in the 40s of the alternative universe it gradually turns into dieselpunk. Which is not without some logic, but is completely devoid of steam romance, in my humble opinion.
If we generalize the above, we get that Steampunk is a technocratic alternative reality, or another world, which has embarked on the path of development based on steam technology and leading the social and cultural reference point, starting from the 19th century of our time. Despite specific framework Given this definition, steampunk has many facets. Attempts are constantly being made to distinguish various subgenres and even separate genres based on steampunk.
Here are the most famous:
Usually the clockwork or mechanical “clock-gear” component is a harmonious and integral part of the steam universe. But in its purest form, this is a world that exalts the aesthetics of mechanism, in which the art of creating mechanical things has been brought to almost perfection. A mechanical computer on shafts and springs is a common thing for clockworkpunk.
A subgenre inspired by the late 19th century genius scientist Nikola Tesla. Electricity is the basis of Teslapunk. It is not found in its pure form, but if a steampunk work contains electric generators, it can be classified as Teslapunk.
Timepunk
H.G. Wells's "The Time Machine" is a striking (and practically the only) example. Time travel and adventures associated with it - that's what timepunk is.
Still from the movie "The Time Machine", quite in steampunk style
A sales punk universe can be a world of flying islands, or a city world in which only the sky remains free. But one way or another, sailpunk is about ships, air and water battles and pirates. Sailpunk is also a harmonious part of many steam universes. An independent example is the novel “Aqualon” by Ilya Novak and Lev Zhakov.
Fantasy steampunk
Steampunk, but with elves, dragons, magic and other fantasy attributes. Sometimes it stands out as separate genre. One of the most striking examples is the magnificent computer game Arcanum.
Identification of subgenres, identification of the “steampunkness” of a particular work or universe is extremely shaky ground and leads to ongoing disputes among steampunkers. Should goggles and gears be considered mandatory attributes or banality and signs of bad taste? If the main character is the captain of an air frigate, does that turn steampunk into sailpunk? Despite the divergence of opinions and disagreements, a hot steam heart beats in the chest of every steampunk and it beats to the rhythm of steampunk. Steampunk inspires creative feats; and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a professionally made working model of an airship, or a necklace made of old gears - each such creation brings both the master himself and the audience a little closer to his beloved world. And this is the most important thing.
Based on the article
Steampunk, steampunk (English steampunk, from steam - "steam" and punk - "protest", "conflict") is a direction of science fiction that models an alternative version of human development, in which the technology of steam engines and mechanics were perfectly mastered. As a rule, steampunk implies stylization of the era of Victorian England (second half of the 19th century) and the era of early capitalism with a characteristic cityscape and contrasting social stratification.
What does the future hold for us? Technologies are one more dangerous than the other. And the more advanced the technologies, the more dangerous they are for such a wretched and disharmonious creature as man. This was understood two hundred years ago during the time of the Holy Inquisition, which fought progress with persistent but useless cremation. Knowledge, alas, does not burn.
In the 20th century, fear of advancing technology concentrated to the size of a pinhead, ramming the brains of a select few madmen and visionaries. The raunchy union of fear and genius gave birth to cyberpunk - a subculture of high technology and low moral principles. In cyberpunk, the future has completely arrived. It stepped on people, crushed the paint coating of civilization and tore animal instincts to the surface.
And yet, cyberpunk, like twenty years ago, remains computer communism - a mythical future to which we are all moving and cannot reach it. New dangerous technologies are much closer than we think. Some actually appeared in the distant past. For example, electricity. Yes, electricity gave us the world as we know it now, but just think about it: what kind of crazy person could come up with the idea of sending lightning down a wire?! This is as crazy as building a canal to the sun, through which magma will flow to the Earth and heat new buildings in Murmansk. Or a steam engine. Hot dangerous steam moves the piston and the entire mechanical stroller! Hell, it's much safer to get around on foot. Not to mention airships filled with super-flammable hydrogen.
Let's not peer into the cloudy crystal of the future to understand how dangerous technology is. Why imagine bioimplants, hyperhighways, cyborgs and lasers that can split quarks? Take a look around. You come into this world, live and die thanks to technology. You are much more likely to die under the wreckage of a car than to die from sweet old age... Old age caused by an ecology poisoned by progress.
It is enough to look at our world or the world of the past from a slightly different angle, allow, at least mentally, some technologies to move far forward, dragging backward infrastructure with them, and you will see a world inverse to cyberpunk - steampunk. In which it becomes clear: do not wait for the dark apocalyptic future... It is already here.
Steampunk (steam + punk, steam + punk) simulates a world in which such primitive technologies as the steam engine have reached their highest development. Well, or efficiency 110%. Usually this world is stylized in the 19th century and strongly resembles Victorian England or the wild, wild West, although the loose imagination of science fiction writers can imagine Steamworld as a completely fantasy universe. England of the mid-19th century in the imagination of steampunk creators looks very authentic and atmospherically depressing. Sewage flowing along the roadsides, slums inhabited by embittered factory workers, a dirty cloudy sky, torn by columns of ashen smoke from factory chimneys, prostitutes copulating with exemplary bourgeois behind the boarded-up windows of blind houses, demonic scientists creating complete mayhem in the smoky basements of abandoned laboratories...
The term "steampunk" appeared in 1987 as a parody of "cyberpunk" (and is therefore sometimes considered a subset of post-cyberpunk). Often, “steam” analogues were found for modern technologies: a computer is a Babbage machine, a programmer is a clacker, a robot is a winding automatic mechanism.
The publication of William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's novel "The Difference Engine" (commonly known as "The Difference Engine"; "The Difference Engine", 1992) attracted a lot of attention to this genre, and it was after this novel that steampunk began to gain increasing popularity .
Typical elements of the steampunk world
Alternate history steampunk:
Steam engine technologies: airship, primitive airplane, steam locomotive, steamship, armored military ship (dreadnought), steam bus, steam carriage and other mechanisms made of riveted metal and copper pipes. They are equipped with levers and instruments with clock-like dials and hands.
Weapons from the Industrial Revolution: revolvers, repeating rifles, early examples of automatic rifles, artillery pieces, and various steam weapons.
Information technologies of the Victorian era: street newspapers, reminiscent of cash registers, non-electronic calculating machines (for example, Babbage's computer), telegraph, pneumatic mail.
Clothing and accessories of Victorian England:
Aristocrats in a top hat and a coat, under which there is a tailcoat, trousers and a shirt with lace.
Ladies in corsets and crinolines with a hood on their heads and stockings with garters on their legs.
Workers in caps, jackets and boots.
Urban surroundings: red brick factory chimneys, cloudy dirty sky, cobblestone streets, street gas lamps, shops, shops, theaters, city slums, pubs, brothels. And, accordingly, a gloomy atmosphere.
Victorian characters: demonic scientists and engineers a la Victor Frankenstein, criminal maniacs like Jack the Ripper and “ideological” criminals (Professor Moriarty), travelers, Sherlock Holmes-type detectives), secret police agents, spies, revolutionaries, street vendors, proletarians , capitalist-industrialists, hereditary aristocrats, socialites, prostitutes, respectable family citizens (bourgeois).
Fantasy steampunk:
the action of which takes place in completely fictional worlds, where steam engines coexist happily with magic and creatures familiar to fantasy. This direction largely borders on techno-fantasy.
The most famous author of “steam” fantasy is the British China Mieville, who invented the strange city of New Crobizon. Perhaps Miéville comes closest to classic cyberpunk. His heroes - often people outside the law, without morality - live in a strange metropolis reminiscent of Batman's Gotham City. The technology in New Crobizon is exotic, and the cycle cannot be called pure steampunk. However, nowadays almost no one writes “pure” steampunk...
Paula Wolski's novel The Great Ellipse depicts a world reminiscent of early 20th century Europe, where there is magic, the adherents of which try in vain to resist the pressure of science. The heroine, the fearless traveler Lucille, participates in the Great Ellipse race - an obvious reference to Jules Verne. The curious world of Teresa Edgerton's novels Goblin's Moon and The Dwarven Machine is inhabited by traditional magical races. Steam technology has long become a familiar feature of the landscape, and the industrial revolution is about to cause a powerful social explosion...
Among such works we can mention the anime Vision of Escaflowne (1996), Ironwolf comics, the Thief series of computer games, which created the “stealth-shooter” genre, some of the console games Final Fantasy, as well as the famous role-playing game Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magic Obscura (from Troika Games, 2001) is an explosive mixture of fantasy and steampunk, where the main character must choose a magical or technological path of development.
“Stonepunk” simulates a world at the technological level of the Stone Age. Most shining example- the animated series and film "The Flintstones", a parody of modern American life with its transfer to prehistoric times.
Sandalpunk depicts the world of Antiquity, where a technological anachronism occurred - the use of things impossible in reality scientific discoveries. As a result, a future arises where the ancient Greek or Roman civilizations did not collapse, but exist safely to this day. Thus, the steam engine, invented by Heron of Alexandria, found its real embodiment, radically changing the course of history (“Other Songs” by the Pole Jacek Dukaj). "Middlepunk" - everything is the same, but with the beginning of the century of steam in the Middle Ages.
The creators of clockpunk are inspired by the Renaissance and Baroque eras. The name comes from the use of clockwork mechanisms, which in clockpunk usually replace steam engines. For example, in Paul Macauley's novel Pascal's Angel, Leonardo Da Vinci launched the industrial revolution 400 years ahead of schedule. Other examples of clockpunk include some of the novels from Terry Pratchett's Discworld, Gregory Keyes's Age of Madness series, and Neil Gaiman's 1602 comics.
Slightly aside from steampunk and timepunk is “retro-futurism” - the depiction of worlds where, by some whim of history, real or fantastic technology of the past plays a dominant role in the future. In some worlds, technological development takes on a particularly grotesque character. For example, absolutely crazy, impossible vehicles appear, like space sailboats from Disney cartoon"Treasure Planet" or the flying island from the anime "Laputa Sky Island". Vivid examples of retro-futurism also include Philip Reeve’s cycle about Living Machines, Theodore Judson’s novel “Fitzpatrick’s War,” and the comic book Neotopia.
Signs of steampunk
Steampunk has character traits, signs and “tricks” that distinguish it from other science fiction areas. First things first - the external style and atmosphere. Steampunk is Conan Doyle and Dickens in the world of steam engines. Gentlemen in top hats and ladies in crinolines blithely stroll in steam cars along cobblestone streets, which are illuminated by gas jets. And next to them are exhausted factory workers living in rotten slums and forced to work 20 hours a day to earn a piece of bread. From here typical features early steampunk - emphasized dystopianism with elements of noir and gothic.
This does not mean that steampunk lacks precise, compact devices. Various mechanical devices act as a kind of “microelectronics” - springs, gear combinations, rollers, drums, chains, weights. The action of steampunk devices can also be based on complex chemical reactions or even electricity (only when it is not used in engines, otherwise it will no longer be steampunk)
In steampunk it is even possible artificial intelligence— advanced computing machines of Charles Babbage (“differential calculator” or “difference engine”). The same Babbage designed a mechanical printer (which printed the results of difference machine calculations onto punched cards) and tried to develop a universal “analytical engine” - essentially, an ordinary computer, only mechanical.
Typical steampunk characters are aliens from the Victorian era, or more precisely, the modern idea of it. Mad scientists and engineers like Victor Frankenstein and Robur the Conqueror... Brilliant criminals and monstrous maniacs like Professor Moriarty and Jack the Ripper... Fearless travelers and pioneers like Phileas Fogg and Alan Quartermain... Cunning detectives - Sherlock Holmes, Nat Pinkerton... Uncompromising freedom fighters, similar to Captain Nemo... Corrupt aristocrats and socialites, copied from Dorian Gray or George Brummel... Spies, proletarians, greedy capitalists, prostitutes, respectable bourgeois, street boys and many other iconic characters in life and literature of that time.
What is so attractive about steampunk? First of all, its accessibility. Add here the romantic aura that surrounds the age of universal human naivety, faith in the triumph of reason over nature, and you will see fertile ground for mass escapism - an escape from reality into an imaginary world, away from the gray and dull everyday life. Not everyone will be able to implant bioimplants into themselves (well, except for girls) or immerse themselves in the world of the Matrix. Even gather an army of robots in our idea of similar technology- a task beyond the capabilities of the comprehensive US budget. However, you can also assemble a robot according to the canons of steampunk. And if they could do it in mossy 1885, then in the age of iPhone, Windows Vista and cryogenetics even children equipped with a developmental set can cope.
The Japanese, those great technological perverts, managed to distinguish themselves here too. Watchmaker Haruo Suekite produces wristwatch, stylized as steampunk. Haruo Suekite's watches have many details made of copper, steel, aluminum and leather. Some models are worn on the finger rather than on the wrist, and pocket watches are also available. Haruo Suekite works only on appearance hours using the "chassis" quartz watch Seiko and Citizen.
German inventors are also not lagging behind and are ready to offer tabletop steampunk lamps to everyone. Each steam lamp consists of more than 200 parts and is assembled by hand. Exclusive, but industrially produced parts, which simplifies assembly. You can even get two identical lamps, which is rare for steampunk (identity, not lamps, of course). They are expensive (although practical Germans, for some reason, do not immediately indicate the price), but, you see, one of these lamps would look very natural on a desktop next to... a steampunk computer.
The next victim of the modders was, don’t be alarmed, a mouse. The resulting manipulator received title The Bug and made from a bunch of old metal parts (copper alloys or copper plated steel). For example, the scroll wheel is one of the gears from an old alarm clock, and the buttons are actually hinge pieces from an antique toilet seat kit. The electronics are borrowed from a compact optical mouse and, if possible, disguised, for example, the wires are enclosed in brass tubes. And the USB cord, instead of standard plastic insulation, is enclosed in a piece of parachute cord.
The Korean artist, animator and inventor Yi-Wei Huang has advanced the furthest in the field of steam robotics. Yi-Wei assembled his first device in 2005 and since then he has not been able to stop, assembling a robot per month. Yi-Wei built four- and six-wheeled cars, steam tanks with caterpillars, multi-legged spiders, and even a completely absurd (but functional!) mechanism with a hundred limbs. Inventor, artist and animator Yi-Wei's work includes radio-controlled models, but they all work reliably when paired while maintaining a flawless, classic Victorian look. Bots work on average from 5 to 30 minutes, while managing to get up to speed in open space. With his unusual devices, Yi-Wei participated in the RoboGames 2006 festival, from where he returned with awards.
Article
Steam Gear
A fashionable approach to lifestyle.
by Libby Bulloff
There are people who do everything for the sake of Science! raises glasses* I see clothes with many belts, pockets, etc. Anything to protect your eyes, perhaps a lab coat or other clothing that is resistant to dirt or grease? I imagine the engineer in more practical clothes, and the inventor in a more eccentric mix of lab clothes and a slightly worn casual suit. Find yourself a nice vest or jacket with lots of pockets. Sew the gears onto the clothing. Carry your tools like accessories—make yourself a leather belt with pockets or compartments for carrying useful tools. Remember the steampunk inventor believes in form and function! Don't forget a crazy hairstyle, or ladies and gentlemen, forget to comb your hair before going out. Or assemble some kind of hair care device, of course with a bunch of mechanical parts. Make a kind of mohawk with dyed tips and put a pencil behind your ear, or pierce your eyebrow and tell some light clock gears. Look for treasures at thrift stores, you may be able to find an old lab coat or rubber apron online or from friends. Glasses can be found in abundance at military supply stores, hardware stores, antiques stores or on eBay. Decorate your costume with old clock parts salvaged from antiques. or repair shops.
These guys are the most punk-like of all the steampunks. We're talking about rags, safety pins, old skin and torn pants. This type of clothing is functional, unpretentious, cheap, and belongs to the very bottom of Victorian and steampunk society. She looks great dirty! Torn stockings, torn at the knee, secured with a garter or pins look best! Ladies, wear your torn skirts over a pair of breeches. Gentlemen, there's nothing sexier than suspenders over a stained sleeveless tank top, especially if you have tattoos. Street boys are true creators and are not afraid of dirt, stains, sweat and tears. Insert a feather or some kind of tube behind the hatband. There are absolutely no rules for you when it comes to the hairstyle you need to complete your look. Don't be afraid to experiment! Make a mohawk or dreadlocks (synthetic or natural) tied with wires or leather laces. Style your hair or shave it completely. Don't be afraid to dye your hair crazy colors. Look for any jewelry you can, at antiques or at flea markets. Tear up underwear or suits found in humanitarian aid and sew on your own pockets, patches and anything else your heart desires. Put stains on T-shirts or shirts; you can partially bleach black clothes. If you don't know how to sew, use pins or tie the pieces together, or ask a tailor you know
By definition, a researcher is a person who explores unknown Regions. Keep this in mind when planning your costume. Think tailored suit, but more military-style than I-bought-it-at-a-fashion-store. Leather, silk, linen, high boots, helmets, flight goggles - this is the list that makes the researcher dance. Try wearing a medium-length skirt with a pinned hem so that your breeches or cotton pantaloons are visible. Wide sleeves, narrow skirts with a tight leather vest or corset are required. Take the motifs of Indian or Central Asian costumes for belly dancing. Or, look to pioneer costumes for inspiration. Wrap a bunch of leather belts around your waist and hips, or use rope to belt your skirt or pants. Ladies—search Ebay or vintage stores for old-fashioned jockstraps with Ribbon trim. Gentlemen—tuck your pants into your boots and hang a compass or pocket watch on your belt, or wear a kilt and sporan. Make your own ray gun out of a water gun and hang it up too. Explorers look nice in earth tones, but let some of the tones show through here and there. I'd also recommend wearing something close to a Beatle for example - velvet or wool, maybe you'd prefer a military style jacket or duster. Well slicked hair with a touch of casualness is great for gentlemen, and sleek buns or ponytails look really cute on girls. If you grow something on your face, for God's sake. Too lazy to do your hair? Easily wear your flight helmet and canned goggles. Search your military supply stores for uniforms, boots, eye protection and hats. Sew trousers or a skirt from wool or cotton and decorate them with rings and buckles from a craft store.
These are people in well-fitting Victorian or Edwardian suits discussing infernal machines over a cigar and brandy, and these are ladies in boots with a bunch of buttons who behave like terrorists if they don’t knit mittens. It seems to me that some people who fall into this category experience Neo-Victorian nostalgia with elements of anachrotechnofetishism, while others are simply pretending high society hiding absenteeism strong perfume and pathetic gestures. Elegant glasses or pennies, which can only be found in antiques, are required, as well as simple corsets, handkerchiefs, cigarette cases, gloves, etc. Be sure to buy yourself a cylinder or bowler. Ladies, try putting your pocket watch in the pocket of your corset, or better yet, try looking like a male dandy. Put on a scarf, vest, tailcoat, and take a cane. I knew one brave lady who wore a false mustache and greased her hair. Gentlemen, pay attention to clothes in the Japanese Gothic Aristocrat style. Japanese designers have done a great job of introducing various buckles and other metal fittings into suits of this type. Dandies know better than anyone how to choose accessories - small details give a complete look. Spend a little time designing your own tie, sew it from pieces of crepe or brocade, decorate the hem of your skirt with a flying clock or streaks. A pomaded mustache and gloves with cut off fingers will also work. Wear legwarmers over pointed-toe shoes for a more stylish look. Pieces of watches, bottles or a bunch of antique keys make great accessories. Go to Etsy.com and look for homemade jewelry made from glass, wires, and chains. Tuck your hair under a matching top hat or backcomb it and secure it with large nails or chrome sticks. If this doesn’t appeal to you, you can get a perm.
Famous works
* “Station of Lost Dreams” China Miéville 2000
* “Scar” China Mieville 2002
* "Night of the Morlocks", 1979
* “Machine of Differences”, 1990
* "Daughter of the Iron Dragon" and "Jack/Faust" by Michael Swanwick
* trilogy “The Emancipator (Liberator)”, Ray Aldridge (steampunk + space opera + action: some planets are steampunk worlds
* "Newton's Gun", Keyes
* “Pasquale’s Angel or Da Vinci’s Passion”, P. Macauley
* "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow", K. J. Anderson (novelization of the dieselpunk film)
* His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
* “Van Helsing”, R. Kevin (novelization)
* “Long live the transatlantic tunnel, hurray!”, Harrison G.
* “Moralist” (“Ethicist”, “Ethical Engineer”), Second book in the “Deathworld” series, 1964, Harrison G.
* "Homunculus" and "Lord Kelvin's Machine" by J. Blaylock
* “Aerial Commander”, “Land Leviathan” and “Tsar of Steel” (Time Nomads series) by Michael Moorcock
* “Autobahn nach Poznań”, Andrzej Ziemianski
* dilogy “Knight from Nowhere” (Alexander Bushkov)
* dilogy “Seekers of the Sky” (Cold Shores. Morning is approaching.) (Sergey Lukyanenko)
* “Draft” (Sergei Lukyanenko) - one of several worlds (Kimgim) described in the work
* trilogy “Once Upon a Time in the West” (Andrey Ulanov) - steampunk technology in the frontier era.
* Parts 2 and 3 of the trilogy “Blind Guides” (Evgeniy and Lyubov Lukin)
o Part 2 - stone punk’s confrontation with the guns of the conquistadors
o Part 3 - something between sandal and cloak punk (medieval technologies) with the simultaneous presence of secret observers with technologies at the dieselpunk level
Steampunk films
* "Wild Wild West" (1999)
* "Van Helsing" (2004)
* "Time Machine" (2002)
* “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” (2004) (dieselpunk)
* "Lemony Snickett: 33 Misfortunes"
* "Brazil"
* "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (2003)
* "Golden Compass"
* "City of Lost Children" (1995)
* "Mutant Chronicles" (2008)
Animated
* "Full Metal Alchemist" (2003)
* "Rusty Red" (2008)
* "Steam Detectives" (1998)
* "Steamboy" (2005)
* "Wolf's Rain"
* "The Animatrix: A Detective Story"
* "Exile / Last Exile"
* "Laputa Castle in the Sky" (1986)
* Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
* “The Mystery of Back Cap Island / Vynález zkázy” (1958)
* "The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello" (2005)
* "Treasure Planet"
Steampunk games
* "Arcanum"
* "Dreamfall: The Longest Journey"
* "Frater"
* "Silverfall"
* "Syberia"
* "Syberia II"
*"Thief"
* "Thief II: Metal Age"
* "Thief III: Deadly Shadows"
* "Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends" (clockpunk)
* "Blood omen 2"
* “Bioshock” (dieselpunk + biopunk)
* "Steam brigade"
* "The Road to Hon-Ka-Du (Steamland)"
* "Russian Roulette 2 - Closed Planets" (multipunk)
* "TimeShift" (dieselpunk)
* "ParaWorld"
* "No time for dragons"
* "American McGee's Alice"
* "Sudeki"
* "Myst" (with sequels)
* "Sublustrum"
* “Warhammer Fantasy Battles” (Empire, Skaven Clan Skryre, Tilea)
The word "Victorian" and the name Kevin Jeter. This writer in 1987 proposed calling fantasy stories that contain the aesthetics of the times of Queen Victoria “steampunk.” She ruled Britain in the second half of the 19th century, which means steam locomotives, airships, mad scientists and analog dials. Steampunk is as if electricity had not been invented and steam-powered armored airplanes designed by Count Sukhoi took off from the deck of the dreadnought Admiral Kuznetsov.
Fundamentals of philosophy. Until recently, steampunk was all about design. But now fans are already running around with a new ideology. It has a punkish nonconformism, a rejection of everything digital, an interest in dystopias and an imitation of old-fashioned pioneers, scientists and inventors.
What to have fun
Books. Jules Verne became the progenitor of steampunk without even knowing it. The submarine "Nautilus" with portholes in rivets, Phileas Fogg in a top hat, controlling an airship - you can't think of anything more steampunk. Herbert Wells and especially the science fiction writer William Gibson, who was noted for almost all types of technopunk, are suitable. And Ray Bradbury's story "The Assassin" is an example of skepticism towards the digital world.
Movie. “Wild Wild West” is an example of Western steampunk, “The Musketeers” is an example of alternative history. "Sherlock Holmes" by Guy Ritchie is a classic of the genre. To immerse yourself in steampunk, you can simply follow the example of Robert Downey as Sherlock. But it's only about appearance. If you start behaving the same way, they will force you to take your urine to the drug control center for analysis, and they will be right.
How to dress
If you live in a steampunk world, the words “polyvinyl chloride” and “polyacrylic vinyl” can only summon demons. However, they will not come, because steampunk is atheistic and believes in science. You can only dress in what is available in a world without oil and electricity - natural fabrics and leather. Style - Victorian: vests, tweed, cuffs, suspenders, breeches. To all this - rivets and soldier's boots as symbols of industrialism and a penchant for adventure, plus mechanical pocket watches. That is, it should look like an old-fashioned London accountant who has decided to join the Hells Angels, but still has a little doubt. If you live in St. Petersburg or for some other reason are not afraid to look like a freak, you can wear a bowler hat or top hat, even a leather one.
What to do
We do not recommend changing your profession: making money through science and travel, these activities respected among steampunks, was already difficult in the times of Krusenstern and Edison. But there are many exciting and weird hobbies, together with which your riveted leather vest, top hat and tweed breeches will form a harmonious steampunk ensemble.
Behaviorism. IN late XIX For centuries, people were studied not only by cutting them into pieces, as in the Renaissance, but also by living people. Consciousness was then considered a machine, where the stimulus is the control lever. Now behaviorism is not so relevant, but no one is stopping you from quoting Skinner and studying the conditioned reflexes of your colleagues when the tax office comes.
Archeology. This is where travel, research, and boots come in handy. You can engage in banal treasure hunting, but if you have already joined the semi-fantastic steampunk, choose a hobby that matches. For example, the search for unknown paleocivilizations.
Engineering. Everything mechanical and analog meets steampunk. And designing watches, retro bicycles or bronze steam-powered masturbators is a steampunk hobby from which you can also make money.
Steam art. Dolls made from spare parts for a locomotive, painting with machine oil on vintage rust - all this is becoming fashionable and is now considered a completely masculine kind of creative insanity.
Where to live
An apartment in the steampunk style can even be located in a Khrushchev-era building overlooking a slaughterhouse. Although ideal is a loft in a former factory. The main thing is materials and details. Steampunk is like high-tech that has lain in the pond for half a century. Lots of brick, wood and metal, but everything should be dark and cracked.
Colors - dark brown and bronze. The doors can be covered with sheet iron with rivets, a fan can be hung from the ceiling, the walls and ceiling can be covered with stained wood, and the pipes in the bathroom can be made of copper. Decorate everything with parts of steam boilers, gears, flasks and framed drawings, serve by candlelight.
Where to go
In London. In 2008, the Transatlantic Telescope was built there - an electronic telescope designed in the spirit of steampunk. One of his two-meter lenses is located in the London City Hall, the other in New York. Through an optical system and a cable on the ocean floor, the British and Americans can wave to each other.
To Romania. There, in the city of Cluj-Napoca, the world's first dynamic steampunk bar opened with moving mechanical flowers and birds, a huge clock mechanism and one small robot. Analysts believe that local vampires and werewolves will no longer be able to maintain their market share.
Anywhere. After the first major steampunk festival - STEAMfest 2010 - in Georgia, its analogues appear every year in different parts of the world. One even took place in Peterhof. Dates and turnouts usually appear on steampunkworldsfair.com, steampunkfestival.co.uk and the Steampunk Tendencies Facebook group.
What to brag about
If the spirit of steampunk has gripped you and refuses to let go, you need to get yourself a few artifacts that will complete the image and become the envy of your fellow followers of the new way of life.
Goggle glasses. In the past, these glasses, with a protective cover around the frame, were worn by motorcyclists and machinists to protect their eyes from surprises in the form of gravel and coal particles. Now antique goggles are a cult item in steampunk.
Mechanical computer. Even an antique adding machine on the table is already a declaration in the spirit of steampunk. But if you wish, you can find replicas of devices based on Leibniz’s calculator or Pascal’s summing machine. There is even one working Babbage difference engine - the first computer in history, and a mechanical one at that. But it is stored in British Museum and stands like the author's copy of the Shroud of Turin.
Sculptures by Hasan Novrozi. His steel Pegasus with spring springs and a ram with gears inside are already worth a lot of money, and if the popularity of steampunk grows, then the sculptures will be a good investment. The sculptor is on Facebook - Hasan Novrozi.
Keyboard, smartphone case or coffee machine in steampunk style. In Belarus, there lives a former mechanic, and now an artist, Dmitry Tikhonenko, who can decorate even a fly swatter in the steampunk style, if really necessary. In the world of steampunk he is now a star.
Some steampunk fans are ready to not only decorate their homes with drawings of steam engines, but also make something strange using these drawings.
Steam motorcycle "Black Pearl".
It was built in the Netherlands two years ago by engineer Rene van Tooley. The bike reaches a phenomenal speed of 8 km/h.
Steam car Inspiration.
Built by the company, or rather, a club of interests, The British Steam Car. In tests in the Mojave Desert, it accelerated to 241 km/h.
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